Connacht Tribune
Ambulance base still off limits over lack of aerial
After years of having to endure ‘third world’ conditions, ambulance crews have still to move into the newly-built ambulance base at Merlin Park.
The Galway City Tribune understands that;s because an aerial – whichh would allow paramedics to receive communications on the Tetra radio system – has still not been installed, even though the €1.3 million building was handed over by contractors to the National Ambulance Service before Christmas.
One paramedic described the situation as bizarre.
For the last six years up to 80 staff spread throughout shifts have operated out of an almost derelict building which used to be the old fever hospital on the grounds of University Hospital Galway.
And social distancing has been almost impossible in what are very cramped conditions during the pandemic.
Previously the crews had been split between staff transferring patients to and from home based at UHG while crews responding to emergencies did so from a base at Merlin Park. But that building was condemned, and staff moved to the Newcastle site after a major influx of rats.
Galway City Councillor John Connolly had previously described the ambulance base as akin to third world facilities at a regional health forum west meeting.
Work began on the new Merlin Park base in August 2020 two years after planning permission was granted.
“We’ve been told that the new base was handed over before Christmas and was fully ready to move into but there’s still nobody there. We are still at the old fever hospital which is just not fit for purpose. On a busy Thursday there could be 22 staff in there. We have to eat our dinner in the hallway,” one paramedic revealed.
“What’s delaying it now is they never put in any aerial on the building so none of the radios will work so we can’t go in there which is absolutely ridiculous. Imagine building an ambulance base and not getting any signal for the emergency calls.”
Another crew member told the Tribune their union was in negotiation with management about subsistence allowances before signing off on the move.
“We are aware of the Tetra issue but 100 percent that will have to be up and running. Staff aren’t going to go in there unless it’s up and running,” he stated.
“A lot of the trust is gone for staff. We were only meant to be in UHG for a matter of months and it ended up being six years so staff want to make sure all ducks are lined up in a row before moving.”
He says staff are concerned that when they do eventually move to Merlin Park it could leave patients on the west side of the city with delays in response times when traffic returns to normal.
“We’ve been told there will be a room for ambulance staff in the new primary care centre planned for the west side of the city but that could take years and years to build if our experience with the base is anything to go by,” he opined.
“It’s a fine new base but it’s already going to be at maximum capacity. Staff levels are massive and I understand the hospital want us out of the fever building – they already have that earmarked for something else.”
A spokesperson for the HSE would not comment about any problem with the communications system.
“The commissioning of a new Galway Ambulance Hub is planned for the first quarter of 2022. At this stage, the HSE expects the new Galway Ambulance Hub to be operational in the second quarter of 2022.”
The new base includes a 129m² garage, two canopied parking bays and 19 canopied spaces for emergency vehicles. The two-storey base has offices, bathroom, shower and laundry facilities as well as a kitchen and quiet room for paramedics.
A previous health forum meeting was told that two of the unsuccessful contractors who applied to build the Merlin Park base had queried the tendering process with the HSE.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
